6 SEPTEMBER 2019 scca.comWELCOME TO THE SCCA

There are times when we find ourselves in such an absurd situation that the only way to truly cope is to
find the humor in the moment that we know will come
as we look back in the future. The first day of the 2018

Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships was such a
moment, as it saw record-breaking levels of rain alongside
a record attendance, all while the competitors attempted
to complete their runs before the evening’s darkness
consumed Lincoln Airpark. While many of us involved in
operations were focused on the issues at hand, as well
as brainstorming solutions, we knew that at some point
this was going to be a bit of Solo Nationals history we
would look back upon with at least a glint of humor.

When the continuing Solo Nationals Chairmen, Jeff Cox
and Scott Dobler, asked me about a theme for the 2019

Solo Nationals, this coping means came to mind. Since we’vebeen trying to keep athematic connectionover a handful ofevents in recentyears, we thoughtwe should carry overfor one more yearthe “Game of Cones” concept, with a comedic tip-of-the-hatto 2018. That’s the background for the naming of the 2019event: “Game of Cones, After the Flood.” However, little didwe know when that decision was made last winter that thecountry would be enduring record rain in 2019, as evidencedat many of this year’s Tire Rack SCCA National Solo events.

That said, improvements are in the works for the2019 Solo National Championships that will addressthe primary shortcomings of the 2018 event (that werethen aggravated by weather). These include being moreaggressive in balancing the number of competitors ineach pair of days, the development of a rule determininga hard end of competition for each day, clarifying theroles of all event leaders, and the fine tuning of processesand procedures. Additionally, we have been upgradingelectronic communications throughout the seasonwith an eye on the Solo Nationals. This includes ourFM broadcasting, the public address system, SoloLive,web audiocast, and on-site notifications (text and/or asmartphone app). There are a host of other items we’reworking on to improve events, but right now, I want toaddress the site changes coming for 2019 and 2020.

The Offutt Air Force Base located near Omaha, Neb., is
about to undergo a major renovation. As a result, that base
needs to relocate its aircraft this fall for a duration of about
one year, and those planes will come to Lincoln Airport. The
Lincoln Airport officials wanted to be good citizens and support
this USAF need, but at the same time, the airport didn’t
want to force the relocation of the Solo Nationals or impact
the SCCA any more than is absolutely necessary. Therefore,
the site will be available to us for the 2019 and 2020 Solo
National Championships, as well as the 2020 Spring Nationals.

However, as we wanted to be good citizens as well, some
changes will be necessary in our site plan to accommodate
the USAF. While there will not be any additional USAF aircraft
in Lincoln at this year’s Nationals, the site modifications
necessary to accommodate those aircraft are underway
now and will impact our site plan for 2019 and 2020.

A large portion of the paddock area and the Test and Tune
are being milled and paved over with asphalt. This will have
no impact on our course areas, the grids, and the first nine
rows of the paddock. The Test and Tune will be relocated
to the area to the northeast of the Nationals gate and will
remain on concrete. The paddock will now extend into the
area previously used for the Test and Tune. As such, it will
be a long distance from some parts of the paddock to the
course areas, so participants should plan accordingly. The
location of some functions – like the Big Fun Tent (BFT) and
tire manufacturer trailers – will change. By the time you read
this, a site map should be posted on the SCCA website.

Beyond the 2020 Solo National Championships, these
changes will actually help us plan for the 50th anniversary
of the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships in

2022, as the resulting footprint will be larger and offer
multiple options. In the meantime, let’s hope the rainy

2019 season has ended and we can see a return to
the true “Concrete Beach” where we can enjoy friends
old and new, make a toast or two, and conquer a duo
of challenging courses – all under sunny skies.